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Weekend at New Paltz, NY, and Mohonk Mountain House

30 January 2018 by Nathalie Abejero Leave a Comment

New Paltz, NY, is a picturesque village in Ulster County (Hudson Valley region), just under an hour’s drive from NYC. We spent the weekend at a farmhouse before moving on to the hotel where I was attending a work meeting for three days.

Fire pit at the Robibero Family Vineyards. They have board games inside that entertained the kids while we did an extensive tasting. It’s an expansive outdoor setting with picnic benches and tables on a huge balcony overlooking the vineyards. Staff were so great with the kids and gave them pizza baked in the outdoor oven.
We caught the Chili Challenge again this year at the Water Street Market
The Mohonk Preserve Foothills Gatehouse. Photo courtesy of Keith Kelly – More of his photos of Mohonk and New Paltz are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithkelly/albums/72157676203397664/with/32512450892/

This is the second year I attended a meeting held at Mohonk Mountain House, in the Mohonk Preserve that’s set in the Shawangunk Mountains. It’s the dead of winter, with very few activities and most of the trails closed due to ice. But it’s such an isolated, idyllic environment that the winter solace makes it so peaceful, notwithstanding the creepy “institution” vibe the setting gives!

Photo courtesy of Keith Kelly – More of his photos of Mohonk and New Paltz are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithkelly/albums/72157676203397664/with/32512450892/
Photo courtesy of Keith Kelly – More of his photos of Mohonk and New Paltz are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithkelly/albums/72157676203397664/with/32512450892/
View outside our room
The trails were closed but you can sneak on to them. This cove was from the trails outside the newer end of the buildings. Photo courtesy of Keith Kelly – More of his photos of Mohonk and New Paltz are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithkelly/albums/72157676203397664/with/32512450892/

 

View from the Conference Rooms and main house
It snowed on the last day
View from the Parlor where afternoon tea is served by the fireplaces
Meeting attendees had a spare 20 minutes to test out the skating rink
The pool was almost always empty. Photo courtesy of Keith Kelly – More of his photos of Mohonk and New Paltz are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithkelly/albums/72157676203397664/with/32512450892/

On the weekend before we went to Mohonk, we stayed nearby in a farmhouse that we found through AirBnB. We had a lovely host at her fantastic historic farmhouse and barn, where the kids got to feed the chickens and observe some wildlife. I’m a fan of the hosting platform now!

Check out this awesome heating stove
And check out this ancient wood stove!

Filed Under: Travels Tagged With: AirBnB, Chili Challenge 2018, farmhouse, Hudson Valley, Mohonk Mountain House, Mohonk Preserve, New Paltz, NY, Robibero, Shawangunk Mountains, Ulster County, Water Street Market

Travel: Hauling a 2- and 4-year old through 6 countries in 8 weeks

29 July 2015 by Nathalie Abejero Leave a Comment

As we were leaving the region to move back home, I did a consultancy that took me to several capital cities to review national health programs. It was a great opportunity for all of us to say goodbye to friends, colleagues and places we’ve frequented over the past decade. So we packed up the house and shipped, sold or gave away our belongings, and took the kids on a two month journey through Southeast Asia. [Read more…] about Travel: Hauling a 2- and 4-year old through 6 countries in 8 weeks

Filed Under: Interests, Life, Travels Tagged With: air travel with kids, Clover hotel, culinary tour, Eureka Villas, foodie, Hanoi, Hue, kid-friendly Cambodia, kid-friendly Phnom Penh, kids, laos, living out of a suitcase, living out of suitcases, Manila, Myanmar, New York, NY, Nya Pyi Taw, Philippines, Southeast Asia, travel with kids, traveling with kids, USA, vientiane, Vietnam, Yangon

Project: Educate a girl and you educate a family

13 July 2015 by Nathalie Abejero 1 Comment

My old Khmer language tutor, Mdm Soun Neang, has a generous heart. In her youth during Cambodia’s darkest years under the Khmer Rouge regime, she taught languages secretly to children, at great personal risk. Today, she supports girls in her hometown in rural Kampong Thom go to school, where the opportunity costs of educating a girl is too high for poor families (who send their sons instead). This is despite significant evidence that educating a girl has a powerful impact on the future of her family. [Read more…] about Project: Educate a girl and you educate a family

Filed Under: Interests, Travels Tagged With: Cambodia, change the world, empowerment, girls, girls' education, Kampong Thom, Kg Thom, pen pal, Soun Neang

Where apsaras dance .. updated

9 February 2015 by Nathalie Abejero 2 Comments

Maxence & Dimanche's wedding

The origins and symbolism of Khmer weddings, according to the Khmer Institute:

Khmer weddings enact Cambodia’s greatest legend. The first Khmer prince, Preah Thong, fell in love with the Naga Princess, Neang Neak, while exiled from his homeland. As a marriage gift to the couple, the father of the Naga Princess swallowed part of the ocean, and out of this was formed the land of Cambodia.

[Read more…] about Where apsaras dance .. updated

Filed Under: Life, Travels Tagged With: Khmer, Khmer wedding, marriage, traditional, wedding

Desperately seeking peace and quiet in Kampot

26 January 2015 by Nathalie Abejero Leave a Comment

It was a long-overdue trip to escape the ambient noise of Phnom Penh rapidly industrializing. Check out this house!

Our friends moved back to Kampot from the US and built this house. It’s a modernized version of the traditional house, complete with the stilts and architectural elements that make this country so unique (even to the very closely related Thai constructions). [Read more…] about Desperately seeking peace and quiet in Kampot

Filed Under: Life, Travels Tagged With: Cambodia, Chaa Muc Maric Kchai, coconut, crab boil, Kampot, Kampot pepper

Sunset on the Mekong

21 January 2015 by Nathalie Abejero 1 Comment

Lazy days are ahead.. Floating down the river in a converted old rice boat at sunset is one of the best things about these Mekong capitals.

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Huddling together for the night Colorful Cham boat Working into the evening Floating village on the Mekong

Filed Under: Life, Travels Tagged With: mekong, Mekong capital cities, Mekong River, Phnom Penh

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Those little feet pitter-pattering about rule our lives lately. But on the occasional free moment I get to tap out scatterbrained bursts of consciousness about raising toddlers in Cambodia, traveling with them and working abroad. These posts are my personal updates to friends and family. But since you’re here, have a look around. Thanks for stopping by…

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